[comp.lang.smalltalk] Porting Classes

cloutier@athena.mit.edu (Normand J Cloutier) (02/07/91)

I'm trying to transfer (or FILE OUT) classes from Parc Place V2.3 (objectworks)
to Smalltalk/V

	One of the classes I am trying to transfer is the SIMULATION (+ framework) class found int the blue book (Goldberg, Adele: Smalltalk-80:the language and its implementatation.) Chapter 22.

	The only problem is that Parc Place has concurrency BUILT IN
	(semaphores to implement delayed events in the simulation
	by suspending processes)
	Smalltalk/V doesn't.

I know that goodies and the color kit exist

	- Should I use Smalltalk/V-286 ????
	- I must stick with Parc Place (OBJECTWORKS)

Any hint would be helpfull......
--
Larry Turcotte                           Internet:protocom@dmi.usherb.ca
computer science student/consultant
consulting company:Protocom              Is there anybody out there.....

sdl@lyra.mitre.org (Steven D. Litvinchouk) (02/08/91)

In article <1991Feb7.015902.17182@athena.mit.edu> cloutier@athena.mit.edu (Normand J Cloutier) writes:

> I'm trying to transfer (or FILE OUT) classes from Parc Place V2.3
> (objectworks) to Smalltalk/V
> 	One of the classes I am trying to transfer is the SIMULATION
> (+ framework) class....
> 	The only problem is that Parc Place has concurrency BUILT IN
> 	....Smalltalk/V doesn't.
> 
> 	- Should I use Smalltalk/V-286 ????

I believe Smalltalk/V-286 does implement processes.  But what you
propose to do may be violating your ParcPlace license agreement.

Last year, I investigated the issue of how to port the ParcPlace
Objectworks Smalltalk-80 simulation support to Smalltalk/V-Mac (which
probably supports processes the same way as -286).

*BUT*, I don't think I am allowed to tell you whether I actually did
the port.  Reason: the ParcPlace Objectworks license, which says:

	No class names, hierarchies, nor protocols may be copied for
	implementation in other systems.

However, is the simulation support covered by this?  Those classes are
fileins; they are not listed in the ObjectWorks Reference Manual as
being part of the Smalltalk-80 system.

Well, I checked with ParcPlace, and got two different answers.  Greg
Ching (a support person) said it was OK for me to port the simulation
classes to Smalltalk/V, and (assuming I was successful) I could even
give a copy of the ported code to someone else for research purposes
only.  Michael Khaw (another support person) disagreed, stating that
he was told that all fileIns are to be considered part of the
ParcPlace virtual image.  If this is so, then you and I really have no
alternative but to type or scan in the simulation code directly from
the BlueBook, and port that.  So I suggest you think about the
licensing implications yourself, before doing any such port.

Kill all the lawyers!


Steven Litvintchouk
MITRE Corporation
Burlington Road
Bedford, MA  01730
(617)271-7753
ARPA:  sdl@mbunix.mitre.org
UUCP:  ...{att,decvax,genrad,necntc,ll-xn,philabs,utzoo}!linus!sdl
	"Where does he get those wonderful toys?"
--
Steven Litvintchouk
MITRE Corporation
Burlington Road
Bedford, MA  01730
(617)271-7753
ARPA:  sdl@mbunix.mitre.org
UUCP:  ...{att,decvax,genrad,necntc,ll-xn,philabs,utzoo}!linus!sdl
	"Where does he get those wonderful toys?"